
Dr Fiona Spotswood
BA, MA, PhD
Expertise
My research focuses on transformative consumer research, particularly the consumption of outdoor sport and leisure and how these can be transformed to become more inclusive and open to all.
Current positions
Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumption
University of Bristol Business School
Contact
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Biography
I am Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumption with a particular interest in transformative consumer research and research-informed impact in the fields of sport and outdoor recreation, particularly action sport. My work particularly explores the lived experiences of outdoor sports by different groups who are underrepresented and marginalised. I explore the way inequalities and social injustices can be challenged through collaborative working with stakeholders in public and policy sectors, and industry. I draw on theories of practice in my work and I am interested in exploring how a practice ontology can inform, shape and invigorate marketing and consumption scholarship that is focused on inequality, injustice and impact.
I am very much open to approaches from potential PhD candidates interested in supervision, if topics relate to addressing inequality in sport and recreation.
Research interests
I am an Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumption with a number of overlapping research interests. I have a particular interest in the consumption of sport and physical activity, and cultures of exclusion. I pay particular attention to the way sporting cultures are written and represented. I am interested in critiquing and theorising how stories are told in marketing and media, how these are consumed as part of sports consumption practices, and how the nexus of storytelling, marketing, media, writing and consumption fosters exclusion, particularly in action sports like mountain biking.
I also have a particular interested in social impact and marketing for behaviour change. I have edited a (2016) book entitled 'Beyond Behaviour Change' which focused on interdisciplinary approaches to behaviour change, and led a seminar series (funded by the ESRC) with the same title. My work in this stream explores the role of marketing in creating and solving society's wicked problems and I focus on applying 'social marketing' thinking, approaches and innovations to societal problems. Within this stream I am particularly interested in physical activity and am involved in a number of research projects exploring novel and innovative theorisations of physical activity and inactivity amongst different groups, with the purpose of identifying critical insights for interventions. Unusual amongst social marketing scholars, I tend to draw on theories of practice in my work and I am interested in exploring how a practice ontology can inform, shape and invigorate social marketing. I also contribute to Critical Social Marketing scholarship by interogating social marketing and intervention, particularly exploring the limitations, ethics and implications of individualist approaches and assumptions about social change. I am particularly interested in bringing insights from social practice theory into the public health intervention space but also explore ingrained practices known to be unsustainable, using interpretive consumer research approaches to theorise, illuminate and explore opportunities for intervention and socil change.
PhD supervision
I am intererested in receiving proposals from potential PGRs whose area of research aligns with my own expertise. Please get in touch!
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Fostering Inclusivity through Language in the Cycling Industry
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Investigator
Description
This is a joint project with Cyclinglinguists that seeks to find solutions to the numerous challenges faced by translators working with the cycling industry (notably in marketing and media). These…Managing organisational unit
Department of FrenchDates
01/07/2026 to 31/01/2027
Gearing Up! Activation
Principal Investigator
Description
To develop a campaign to boost engagement with Gearing Up! and its impactManaging organisational unit
University of Bristol Business SchoolDates
23/02/2026 to 23/12/2026
GenEIOUS (Gender Equality in European Outdoor Sport
Principal Investigator
Description
To embed the FIAS Framework in the work of ENOS (European Network of Outdoor Sport). To develop a Europe wide gender equity project based on FIAS.Managing organisational unit
University of Bristol Business SchoolDates
01/01/2026 to 15/07/2026
Gearing Up! Transformative Marketing Toolkit for Mountain Biking
Principal Investigator
Description
Funded by the AHRC IAADates
03/03/2025 to 30/09/2025
Fostering Inclusive Action Sport in Wales
Principal Investigator
Description
Policy Fellowship to embed the FIAS Framework in the strategic direction of MB WalesDates
01/07/2024 to 31/07/2025
Publications
Recent publications
03/06/2026Evidence Submission: Beyond Participation – Routes into Sport for Girls and Women+
Power in practices
Harnessing our knowledge of the relationship between experience in greenspace, nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviour
Cities & Health
Navigating ‘proper food’ and ‘good mothering’ on social media
Food, Culture and Society
FIAS Cymru end of project report
FIAS Cymru end of project report
Teaching
I teach on our MSc Marketing programme. In 2019 I launched our Sustainable Marketing and Social Change unit and now teach Understanding Consumers Consumption and Markets.



